Remembrance
by Paulina Ann
Summary: *COMPLETE* Response to KAEX Challenge for 30th Anniversary with the topic "anniversary." Just a short one-shot, because you know I always have to have an entry for a challenge topic. Story visits the anniversary of an important day in the lives of all the Voltron members. Have they forgotten or do they remember?


**Remembrance **

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

**For the KAEX Challenge for Voltron's 30****th**** Anniversary, using "anniversary" as the topic.**

**Rating/Setting: **Rating is T. Setting is DotU

Sven looked at the happy group before him. The original Voltron team, Allura, and Romelle were having a picnic on a hillside that overlooked the castle and the lake. He and Romelle had come on a diplomatic mission, but since they were all so close, activities such as this usually occurred during their stay. It just happened that this visit coincided with a particularly important day in his life and that of all the people in front of him. This day marked two years since that fateful day when Haggar almost killed him. Did any of them remember? Romelle could be excused as she didn't know the exact date. All the others sitting around laughing and eating were there.

Romelle's tinkling laughter brought him out of his revelry. Pidge was doing a series of gymnastics moves across the open green grass. "You must show Bandor how to do that sometime, Pidge!" she called to him.

Moving to seat himself by the beautiful princess from Pollux, Sven said, "Bandor will have to become much more agile and coordinated before Pidge can teach him anything like that."

Laughing, Romelle hit him in the arm and called him incorrigible.

Sven gave her a wink and a smile before he looked over to where Allura was laughing at something Keith said. The two of them were sitting rather close and Allura had leaned in to hear what Keith said. The commander had turned to face her and two were close enough to kiss. Sven had to stifle a chuckle as Keith turned red and hurriedly turned in the other direction, pretending the moment didn't happen. But Sven had seen it and Keith's reaction. He had also caught the pout and blush that had stained the princess' cheeks when he turned away_. When are those two going to admit they have feelings for each other?_ He wondered to himself.

Standing again, he told Romelle he wanted a few minutes to himself to meditate. It wasn't far from the truth. He wanted to just walk away for a few minutes and contemplate how different his life would have been if he hadn't been injured. Sven was still within earshot of the group but not in a direct line of sight for the moment. He stared at the castle. He had hardly stayed in this new shiny version. The castle on Pollux was more in the style of the old Castle of Lions. He was still looking at the castle when he heard someone approaching.

Keith had watched his friend walk away from the group. Looking to Allura, he nodded and her return nod meant that she understood. Standing he walked in the direction that Sven had gone. It took only a few minutes to locate the former pilot.

"Two years today," Keith said.

Sven nodded but didn't turn around, his gaze still on the castle.

"Did you think we had forgotten?" Keith asked in a quiet tone.

Still without turning, Sven said, "Yes. You have made a new team and have so much going on."

"We haven't forgotten. We haven't forgotten it, and we haven't forgotten you." Pausing for a moment, Keith continued, "We never could."

"Thank you," responded Sven with an emotional tone. Though he was pleased and touched by Keith's comments, he wanted to lighten the mood. Turning to look at the man that was once his commander, Sven said, "And just as today is the anniversary of my injury, it is the anniversary of the princess taking her place as the pilot of Blue Lion." Seeing that Keith was going to argue that it wasn't the same day, Sven continued, "My injury was the opening that allowed it, so the anniversary for one is the anniversary for the other."

Keith shrugged. He wouldn't argue over the exact date of when the princess became part of the team. Dates didn't matter for things like that. It only mattered that she was a part of the team. He glanced back over his shoulder where the laughter of the two princesses intermingled.

"When are you going to tell her?" Sven asked.

"What? Who?" Keith asked in surprise.

"It is obvious to anyone watching that you have feelings for Allura and that she has feelings for you." Sven watched his friend shift uncomfortably from one foot to the other.

Keith looked Sven in the eye. Besides Lance, Sven knew him best. There wasn't any need to attempt deception with him. "It doesn't matter what I feel or what she feels for that matter. It can never be."

"Bull," Sven said with emotion. "I tried to use that same logic and Bandor shot it down. It was a crutch for me. The whole, 'I'm just a pilot and she's a princess,' was a way to protect my heart. But it didn't need protecting, at least not from Romelle. And yours doesn't need to be protected from Allura."

Keith didn't budge. "Our situations are different. On Pollux, Bandor is set to become king. On Arus, Allura will be Queen. She is expected to find a royal mate."

Snorting, Sven said, "Do you hear yourself, Keith? '_Royal mate_.' Where's the love in that? She loves _you_. And before you can search out some other useless excuse for denying yourself and that beautiful woman the love you both deserve, think about this. You say that Arus 'expects' it of Allura. Since when has that woman ever done what was expected?" Seeing a thoughtful look pass over Keith's face, he walked up and placed a hand on Keith's shoulder. "Give her a chance to do the unexpected Keith. She might surprise you." Dropping his hand, he moved in the direction of the laughter and the picnic.

In just a few seconds, all the times that Allura had done the unexpected flashed through Keith's mind. The instances were numerous… taking the castle guns and going the battle, taking over Blue Lion, even the time she took Black without permission… so many different times. Turning to follow Sven, he decided that he needed to think on his friend's advice.

Sven stopped as he entered the clearing. All laughter stopped as everyone in the group stood with a glass in hand. They all lifted their glasses in a silent toast of remembrance. Tears welled in Sven's eyes as Keith softly said from behind him, "We'll always remember."


End file.
